A family’s Christmas has been “ruined” after a mum was slapped with a £1,000 fly-tipping fine after she put her rubbish in her neighbour’s bin.
Trisha Malone, 39, a mum-of-five from Birmingham, has been threatened with a criminal record if she does not pay the four-figure sum.
Malone, who is a full-time carer for her son, says she cannot afford to pay the fine and that her Christmas has been left in tatters.
The 39-year-old said she had to put her rubbish in her neighbours’s communal bin as she had no more space in her own bin, but did not want to leave her litter lying around.
The 39-year-old said she had to put her rubbish in her neighbours’s communal bin as she had no more space in her own bin
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She said she explained her reasoning to Birmingham City Council, though they rejected her pleas, with Malone claiming the local authority has “no heart”.
Speaking to Birmingham Live, she said: “I can't afford it. I have five children. When I pay my rent, I have nothing left, and the council is saying I have to pay it in full. There's not even an option for installments.
“I'm a full-time carer for my son. He's six and paralysed down the left side of his body. This fine could ruin our Christmas. They have no heart.”
She disputes the council’s assertion that it was fly-tipping, as she placed her rubbish in a bin rather than leave it outside.
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The 39-year-old said she only used her neighbours bin in July as she was moving to temporary accommodation and had lots of waste to dispose of.
Malone said that she has contacted the council numerous times to ask for a bigger bin but to no avail.
A Birmingham City Council spokesman said: "We are not able to offer a comment at this stage while the legal process is ongoing.”
Earlier this month, Labour abandoned plans which required fortnightly collections.
Birmingham City Council has threatened Malone with a criminal record if she does not pay the four-figure sum
GettyEarlier this year, the Conservative Government vowed to ensure that rubbish is collected at least every other week.
This is intended to produce statutory guidance requiring councils to at minimum collect waste fortnightly to “avoid malodour and attracting vermin”.
However, the rule was not introduced before the election, and now Labour has abandoned it.
Citizens due to be affected by the reduction have labelled the decision a “disgrace”, and suggested it could lead to an increase in fly-tipping.
